System for dispensing cleanroom wipers

ABSTRACT

The present invention defines a system ( 200 ) for dispensing disposable cleanroom wipers. The system provides a housing ( 202 ), within which a supply of cleanroom wipers ( 204 ) is stored. A loading assembly ( 206 ) is disposed on or within one wall of the housing, for loading the cleanroom wipers into the housing. An access portal ( 224 ) is disposed on or within one wall of the housing. A retrieval assembly ( 208 ) is also disposed on or within one wall of the housing. The retrieval assembly comprises an actuating member ( 210 ) and a retrieval member ( 212 ), and is configured such that as the actuating member is asserted, the retrieval member engages and grasps a single cleanroom wiper ( 220 ) from the supply of cleanroom wipers, and moves that single cleanroom wiper into immediate proximity with the access portal.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field ofsemiconductor manufacturing equipment and, more particularly, toapparatus and methods for dispensing cleanroom wipers in an efficientand economical manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In recent years, the availability and diversity of disposablecleaning products have increased dramatically. Among such products,disposable cloths (e.g., towelettes and wipes) are particularly popular.Within the spectrum of disposable cloth products available, there are anumber of products that have been developed for specializedapplications. One such specialized product is the cleanroom wiper.

[0003] Cleanroom wipers have been developed to provide the convenienceof a disposable wipe within semiconductor manufacturing environments.The complex and unique nature of a semiconductor manufacturingenvironment requires a disposable cleaning wipe that meets a number ofcriteria. Because such products are often used in cleaning up accidentalspills of chemicals and liquids, they must be particularly absorbent andsturdy. Where possible, cleanroom wipers must be provided such that useof a wiper introduces minimal contaminants or particulate matter intothe sensitive semiconductor manufacturing environment. To aid inabsorbency, most cleanroom wipers are provided dry. Furthermore,cleanroom wipers are often fabricated from unique blends of materialthat increase the durability of the wipers while reducing theirsusceptibility to transmitting contaminant and particulate matter.Depending upon the specific environment a wiper is used in, it may befabricated to have special or specific material properties (e.g.,tensile strength, chemical composition, absorbency level). The result isconvenient and useful cleanroom wipers that are often, on a per-piecebasis, relatively expensive. Typically, standard cleanroom wipers canhave a per-piece cost of about 30 to 50 cents each, and specializedcleanroom wipers can cost significantly more. Thus, when used in highvolumes throughout large-scale manufacturing facilities, the costassociated with such a convenience product adds up quickly.

[0004] Despite the cost and contaminant concerns, conventionaldispensing systems for cleanroom wipers have typically relied onplacement of stacks of wipers in open-air or partially-enclosed bins.When an individual needs a wiper, they must reach into the bin andretrieve it by hand. Unfortunately, due to a number of factors, usersoften retrieve more, and in some cases many more, wipers than theyactually need or intend to use. This results in a high level of waste.Over time, due to the relatively costly nature of cleanroom wipers, thiswaste can significantly impact the costs and profitability of amanufacturing facility. Furthermore, repeated manual contact with thestack of wipers, as users thumb through or hold the stack whileretrieving wipers, exposes the wipers to an increased level ofcontaminant and particulate matter. Depending upon the location and useof the wipers, collateral contaminant and particulate matter could beintroduced into sensitive manufacturing processes and have a negativeimpact on device yields and reliability.

[0005] These issues are illustrated briefly now in reference to FIG. 1,which depicts a prior art cleanroom wiper dispensing system 100. Insystem 100, a dispenser 102 houses a stack 104 of wipers. A user 106reaches through an opening in dispenser 102 to access the wiper stack104. In most cases, even when user 106 wants only a single wiper, theuser actually retrieves a plurality of wipers 108. This is a result ofseveral factors.

[0006] In most cases, the wipers are manufactured and finished tooptimize their usefulness for cleaning, not for being stacked. Often;wipers are manufactured from materials (e.g., polyester, cellulose) andfinished with certain features (e.g., a knap) to enhance theirabsorbency. Unfortunately, these characteristics tend to increase mutualattraction between wipers (or “stiction”)—causing multiple wipers tostick together and making it difficult for users to retrieve only onewiper at a time. Furthermore, such wipers are, typically, of arelatively fine gauge. Even when a user intends only to retrieve the topwiper, the user's grasp may actually take hold of a plurality of wipers.This is especially likely where the user is wearing some sort ofcleanroom glove, reducing their dexterity and tactile sense. A user musteither take the plurality of wipers, or manually separate the desiredwiper from the stack (e.g., by thumbing through, by holding the stackdown). This manual manipulation of the stack 104 introduces undesirablecollateral contaminant and particulate matter into the wipers remainingin stack 104.

[0007] As a result, there is a need for a wiper dispensing system thatdispenses cleanroom wipers, one at a time, in an easy, efficient andcost-effective manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention provides a versatile system for dispensingdisposable cloths, particularly cleanroom wipers, in an easy, efficientand cost-effective manner. The present invention provides a system thatdispenses wipers one at a time from an ergonomically efficient dispenserassembly. The dispenser assembly is designed to minimize, during thedispensing process, the introduction of collateral contaminant andparticulate matter into wipers stored within the dispenser. The presentinvention provides an ergonomic retrieval system designed to retrieveonly a single wiper from a stack of wipers, thereafter presenting thesingle wiper to a user in an access port having of limited form factor.The present invention thus dispenses wipers efficiently andcleanly—significantly reducing the waste and contamination opportunitiesassociated with many conventional systems.

[0009] More specifically, the present invention provides a device fordispensing disposable cloths. The device includes a housing and aloading assembly disposed within the housing. An access portal isdisposed within the housing. A retrieval assembly is also disposedwithin the housing. The retrieval assembly is adapted to grasp a singlecloth, stored within the housing, and to move the single cloth intoproximity with the access portal.

[0010] The present invention also provides a method for providing, in asingular manner, dispensing of cleanroom wipers. The present inventionprovides a housing and a loading assembly disposed within the housing. Asupply of cleanroom wipers is loaded into the housing via the loadingassembly. An access portal, disposed within the housing, is provided.The present invention provides a retrieval assembly disposed within thehousing, operable to grasp a single cleanroom wiper from the supply andto move the single cleanroom wiper into proximity with the accessportal. The retrieval assembly is actuated to retrieve a singlecleanroom wiper, and the single cleanroom wiper is removed from thehousing through the access portal.

[0011] The present invention further provides a cleanroom wiperdispenser, for dispensing cleanroom wipers one at a time. The dispensercomprises a box-shaped housing, having a bottom wall upon which a supplyof cleanroom wipers is stored. The dispenser comprises a hinged doorassembly, disposed on or within one wall of the housing, and operablefor loading the supply of cleanroom wipers into the housing. An accessaperture is disposed within a first sidewall of the housing. Aspring-loaded actuating lever is also disposed, in vertical orientation,on or within the first sidewall and adjacent to the access aperture. Asubstantially rigid retrieval arm is disposed within the housing. Theretrieval arm has a first end, having a grasping feature disposed upon alower surface thereof. The retrieval arm is formed or coupled to theactuating lever such that, as the actuating lever is depressed andreleased, the grasping feature descends, engages and grasps a singlecleanroom wiper from the supply of cleanroom wipers, and moves thatsingle cleanroom wiper into immediate proximity with the accessaperture.

[0012] Other features and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reference to thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] For a better understanding of the invention, and to show by wayof example how the ay be carried into effect, reference is now made tothe detailed description of the on along with the accompanying figuresin which corresponding numerals in the nt figures refer to correspondingparts and in which:

[0014]FIG. 1 is an illustration of a PRIOR ART dispensing system; and

[0015]FIG. 2 is an illustration of one embodiment of a dispensing systemaccording to sent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] While the making and using of various embodiments of the presentinvention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated thatthe present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts, whichcan be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The inventionwill now be described in conjunction with dispensing disposablecleanroom wipers. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merelyillustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do notlimit the scope of the invention.

[0017] The present invention provides a versatile system that dispensesdisposable cleanroom wipers, one at a time, from an ergonomicallyefficient dispenser assembly. The present invention thus eliminateswaste that often occurred with conventional dispensers. Furthermore, thepresent invention minimizes, during the dispensing process,opportunities for the unintentional introduction of contaminant andparticulate matter into wipers stored within.

[0018] More specifically, the present invention provides a dispenserassembly. The dispenser assembly may be formed in a variety of formfactors, and from a variety of materials, based on its intended use. Thedispenser assembly comprises a housing, within which a supply of wipersis enclosed and stored. The supply of wipers is loaded into the housingthrough a loading assembly. A retrieval assembly is disposed on thehousing. The retrieval assembly comprises an actuating member and aretrieval member. The retrieval assembly is operable, upon user demandcommunicated through the actuating member, to move the retrieval memberinto contact with the supply of wipers. The retrieval member is providedwith a grasping feature to securely engage only the wiper with which itmakes immediate contact. The retrieval assembly then moves the singlewiper, still attached to the grasping feature, into close proximity withan access port. The access port is disposed in convenient location alongthe housing, and has a form factor sufficient to provide manual accessto only the retrieved single wiper. When a user needs a wiper, the useractivates the actuating member—moving the retrieval member into contactwith the supply of wipers. The grasping feature is then brought intoproximity with the access port. The user then manually retrieves thewiper through the access port—making contact only with the wiper soretrieved. If a user desires more than one wiper, they may repeat theprocess a desired number of times.

[0019] Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are nowdescribed in greater detail with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 depicts oneembodiment of a dispenser assembly 200 according to the presentinvention. Assembly 200 comprises a housing 202, within which a supplyof wipers 204 is enclosed and stored. The material composition andphysical form factor of housing 202 may be varied greatly, depending ona variety of end-use factors (e.g., size and composition of the wipers,intended location of dispenser). Housing 202 is generally formed of arigid and durable, yet cost-effective, material. The material may betransparent, partially transparent or opaque, as desired. A materialsuch as polycarbonate proves useful for most applications, althoughother materials such as metal, plastic, ceramic or combinations thereofmay be utilized. The relative size and shape of housing 202 is alsowidely variable, depending upon intended usage. Since many cleanroomwipers are square in shape, a box-shaped housing is useful. For roundwipers, a cylindrical housing is useful. The height of housing 202 canbe varied to produce shelf-top dispensers, tabletop dispensers orfreestanding floor dispensers. A number of other variations arecomprehended hereby.

[0020] <Supply 204 is loaded into housing 202 through a loading assembly206. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, assembly 206 is depictedas a hinged lid, disposed atop housing 202. In alternative embodiments,a hinged door may be located on or within one sidewall of housing 202.In still other alternative embodiments, other loading assemblies (e.g.,a sliding drawer or a rotating cassette), disposed on or within one wallof housing 202, may be used to load supply 204 into housing 202. Similarto housing 202, the material composition and form factor of assembly 206may be varied greatly to accommodate many different end-useapplications. Assembly 206 and housing 202 are generally formed orconfigured to fit or close together securely when assembly 206 is not inuse, minimizing open spaces or gaps therebetween that could allow strayparticulate matter or other contaminants to settle on supply 204. Insome embodiments, an airtight or waterproof seal may be desirable, andthe formation or configuration of assembly 206 and housing 202 isaltered to incorporate a sealing mechanism accordingly. For example, aflexible gasket may be disposed to rest between the lower surface ofassembly 206 and the upper rim of housing 202, providing a secure sealwhen assembly 206 is closed. Other variations are comprehended hereby.

[0021] Assembly 200 further comprises a retrieval assembly 208 disposedon housing 202. The retrieval assembly comprises an actuating member 210and a retrieval member 212. As depicted in FIG. 2, member 210 comprisesa spring-loaded assembly, disposed along a sidewall of housing 202,wherein actuating lever 214 slides transversely within vertical track216. An inner portion of lever 214 is secured to member 212 and, as auser applies downward force to lever 214, it moves down along track 216bringing member 212 into contact with supply 204. Member 210 isspring-tensioned such that as a user releases downward pressure fromlever 214, the lever moves upwardly along track 216 returning member 212to its starting position. In alternative embodiments, member 210 may becompletely manual—requiring the application of both downward and upwardforce to move lever 214 through its full range—or may be automated by,for example, a motorized or computerized assembly. In other alternativeembodiments, the physical configuration and relative position of member210 are altered according to specific needs. For example, spaceconstraints may require member 210 to be configured as a verticalplunger-type assembly disposed upon the upper wall of housing 202. Othercombinations and variations are hereby comprehended.

[0022] As depicted in FIG. 2, member 212 comprises a substantially rigidretrieval arm 218. Arm 218 is securely coupled to lever 214, and isflexible enough to withstand a range of pressures applied but rigidenough to grasp and lift a single wiper 220 in accordance with thepresent invention. In alternative embodiments, arm 218 may be providedas completely rigid or substantially flexible, depending again uponend-use requirements. As depicted in FIG. 2, arm 218 is formed ofstainless steel. The composition and form factor of arm 218 may bevaried greatly depending on performance requirements and costconstraints. Disposed along a portion of the lower surface of arm 218 isgrasping feature 222. Grasping feature 222 is provided to securely graspor otherwise engage only the top most single wiper 220 from supply 204.As depicted in FIG. 2, feature 222 comprises a small field of Velcro,disposed in an alternating pattern along the lower surface of arm 218 atone end. Only the hook portion of Velcro fabric is used. The field ofVelcro comprises a plurality of sub-fields, each having the Velcro hooksoriented in a single direction. The plurality of sub-fields are thendisposed such that their individual hook orientations are at 90° withrespect to one another. This configuration is provided to ensure optimumengagement between feature 222 and the knap of wiper 220, regardless ofthe relative orientation of wiper 220. In order to further facilitatethis, the free end of arm 218 is slightly curved or dished in a convexmanner, with respect to supply 204. In other embodiments, alternativegrasping features 222 are provided. For example, feature 222 maycomprise an adhesive material (e.g., tape or glue strip), or somearticulating mechanism (e.g., a mechanical pincer). Other combinationsand variations are hereby comprehended.

[0023] Once a user actuates assembly 208, it operates in accordance withthe above-described principles to retrieve wiper 220 and to bring itinto proximity with access port 224. Access port 224 and assembly 208are collocated upon the same wall of housing 202. Alternatively, accessport 224 and assembly 208 may be disposed upon or within adjoining oropposing walls of housing 202, so long as assembly 208 is operable tomove wiper 220 into proximity with access port 224. As depicted in FIG.2, access port 224 comprises an aperture formed in the sidewall ofhousing 202, proximal to the starting position of arm 218. Once assembly208 has secured and retrieved wiper 220, a user may simply reach throughport 224 to retrieve only wiper 220. Port 224 is formed of a size andform factor sufficient to allow the user access only to wiper 220 (e.g.,only large enough to allow fingertip access). User contact with andmanipulation of supply 204 is thus eliminated. In further embodiments,assembly 208 may be designed or modified to move wiper 220 outside ofhousing 202, through portal 224 (e.g., by electromechanical displacementof arm 218). In other embodiments, port 224 may be modified orsupplemented with features (e.g., a sliding window or hinged door) tosecurely seal port 224 when not in use. Again, the material compositionand form factor of port 224 may be varied greatly to accommodate manydifferent end-use applications. Other variations and combination arecomprehended hereby.

[0024] As previously alluded to, a number of embodiments may beprovided-addressing the specific needs or concerns of a particularend-use application. For example, a number of mechanical,electromechanical, or electronic components may be provided to implementor enhance the appearance or performance of the various constituentmembers of assembly 200. Furthermore, additional convenience features(e.g., an electronic wipe counter) may also be provided. Thus, theembodiments and examples set forth herein are presented to best explainthe present invention and its practical application and to therebyenable those skilled in the art to make and utilize the invention.However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the foregoingdescription and examples have been presented for the purpose ofillustration and example only. The description as set forth is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formdisclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light ofthe above teaching without departing from the spirit and scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for dispensing disposable clothscomprising: a housing; a loading assembly disposed within the housing;an access portal disposed within the housing; and a retrieval assemblydisposed within the housing, adapted to grasp a single cloth storedwithin the housing and to move the single cloth into proximity with theaccess portal.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprisespolycarbonate.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprisesmetal.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises plastic.5. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed of a sizesuitable for shelf-top use.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein thehousing is formed of a size suitable for tabletop use.
 7. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the housing is formed of a size suitable forfreestanding floor use.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing isopaque.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing is at leastpartially transparent.
 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the loadingassembly comprises a drawer.
 11. The device of claim 1, wherein theloading assembly comprises a hinged door.
 12. The device of claim 11,wherein the loading assembly further comprises a sealing mechanismdisposed between the hinged door and the housing.
 13. The device ofclaim 11, wherein the hinged door is disposed within an upper wall ofthe housing.
 14. The device of claim 11, wherein the hinged door isdisposed within a sidewall of the housing.
 15. The device of claim 1,wherein the access portal comprises an aperture formed within one wallof the housing.
 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the access portalfurther comprises a feature adapted to seal the aperture when not inuse.
 17. The device of claim 15, wherein the aperture is formed of asize sufficient to allow only fingertip access to the single cloth. 18.The device of claim 1, wherein the access portal and retrieval assemblyare disposed on or within one wall of the housing.
 19. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the access portal and retrieval assembly are disposedlon or within adjoining walls of the housing.
 20. The device of claim 1,wherein the access portal and retrieval assembly are disposed on orwithin opposing walls of the housing.
 21. The device of claim 1, whereinthe retrieval assembly comprises an actuating member having a retrievalmember coupled thereto.
 22. The device of claim 21, wherein theactuating member is manual.
 23. The device of claim 21, wherein theactuating member is automated.
 24. The device of claim 22, wherein theactuating member comprises a spring loaded handle.
 25. The device ofclaim 21, wherein the retrieval member comprises a retrieval arm,coupled at a first end to the actuating member.
 26. The device of claim25, wherein the retrieval arm is substantially rigid.
 27. The device ofclaim 25, wherein the retrieval arm comprises polycarbonate.
 28. Thedevice of claim 25, wherein the retrieval arm comprises metal.
 29. Thedevice of claim 28, wherein the retrieval arm comprises stainless steel.30. The device of claim 25, wherein the retrieval arm further comprisesa grasping feature disposed upon a lower surface, near a second end, ofthe retrieval arm.
 31. The device of claim 30, wherein the graspingfeature comprises an adhesive material.
 32. The device of claim 30,wherein the grasping feature comprises an articulating mechanism. 33.The device of claim 30, wherein the grasping feature comprises Velcrofabric.
 34. The device of claim 33, wherein the second end of theretrieval arm is formed having a downwardly convex curvature.
 35. Thedevice of claim 33, wherein the grasping feature further comprises aplurality of sections of Velcro fabric, each section having a uniformorientation differing from the orientation of an adjoining section. 36.The device of claim 35, wherein the orientation of each section isrotated 90° with respect to an adjoining section.
 37. A method forproviding singular dispensing of cleanroom wipers, comprising the stepsof: providing a housing; providing a loading assembly disposed withinthe housing; loading a supply of cleanroom wipers into the housing viathe loading assembly; providing an access portal disposed within thehousing; providing a retrieval assembly disposed within the housing,operable to grasp a single cleanroom wiper from the supply and to movethe single cleanroom wiper into proximity with the access portal;actuating the retrieval assembly to retrieve a single cleanroom wiper;and removing the single cleanroom wiper from the housing through theaccess portal.
 38. A cleanroom wiper dispenser for dispensing cleanroomwipers one at a time, the dispenser comprising: a box-shaped housing,having a bottom wall for storing a supply of cleanroom wipers upon aninner surface thereof; a hinged door assembly, disposed on or within onewall of the housing, adapted for loading the supply of cleanroom wipersinto the housing; an access aperture disposed within a first sidewall ofthe housing; a spring-loaded actuating lever, vertically disposed on orwithin the first sidewall, adjacent to the access aperture; and asubstantially rigid retrieval arm, disposed within the housing, having afirst end and a grasping feature disposed upon a lower surface of thefirst end, the retrieval arm formed or coupled to the actuating leversuch that, as the actuating lever is depressed and released, thegrasping feature engages and grasps a single cleanroom wiper from thesupply of cleanroom wipers and moves that single cleanroom wiper intoimmediate proximity with the access aperture.